These chocolate peanut butter cupcakes feature moist chocolate cupcakes that are topped with a creamy peanut butter frosting. They taste exactly like a peanut butter cup!
These peanut butter chocolate cupcakes were made for the peanut butter lover in your life. The chocolate cake is soft, fluffy, and super moist.
Then, the peanut butter buttercream frosting is light and creamy. It's the perfect bite that will remind you of a Reese's peanut butter cup!
Looking for more peanut butter desserts? Then check out these: peanut butter cream pie, Reese's peanut butter cake, and Reese's pieces cookies.
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Why You'll Love These Cupcakes
- Both chocolate and peanut butter is tasted in every bite.
- They have a rich chocolate flavor.
- Chocolate sauce is drizzled over the top of the frosting.
- The peanut butter frosting is perfectly creamy.
- They taste just like a Reese's cup!
My dark chocolate cupcakes are my inspiration for this recipe. They're perfectly chocolatey and pairs so well with the sweet frosting.
Expert Baking Tips
- Cupcake Pan: Prep two 12-count muffin pans with cupcake liners. This recipe makes 14 cupcakes.
- Measuring Flour: To help ensure you don’t add extra flour, follow these three simple steps: 1) Fluff up the flour using a fork. 2) Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. 3) Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level out the flour.
- Combining Ingredients: Be careful not to overmix the batter. Whisk just until the flour is combined.
- Cupcake Batter: Evenly divide the batter amongst the cupcake liners, only filling them ½ way full (about 2 tablespoons). If you fill them any more than that the cupcakes will have large muffin tops and will risk sinking once cooled.
Ingredients Needed
Here are some notes on the ingredients we'll be using. For the full ingredients list, look at the recipe card below.
- Flour: I used all purpose flour.
- Cocoa Powder: I used dark chocolate cocoa powder but you could also use unsweetened cocoa powder (like Hershey's).
- Milk: I used 2%, but you can also use whole milk or your preferred milk alternative.
- Oil: Use either canola or vegetable oil.
- Peanut Butter: Use creamy peanut butter.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: I like to add a little to the frosting to help with the creaminess. You could also use heavy cream.
Instructions
Here are the step by step instructions on how to make these rich chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting.
Step 1: Dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Step 2: Wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, warm water, oil, and vanilla extract.
Step 3: Combine the ingredients. Add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until combined.
Step 4: Bake. Fill the cupcake liners ½ way full (about 2 tablespoons) and bake for 15-18 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring them over to a wire rack.
Step 5: Make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter, peanut butter, and vanilla extract on high speed until creamy. Add the powdered sugar, heavy whipping cream, and salt on low speed and mix until combined.
Increase the speed to high and beat for another 1-2 minutes.
Step 6: Decorate. Use a piping bag and your favorite frosting tip to frost the top of the cupcakes.
Then drizzle on chocolate syrup.
Storing Tips
Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Or at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
You could certainly use a storebought chocolate cake mix, but I highly recommend you make them from scratch. They're super easy and tastes so much better!
Yes! That consistency of the batter is key to super moist cupcakes.
I have not tried it before in frosting, so I'm not sure how it will turn out. I recommend using either Jif or Skippy peanut butter.
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below. I love hearing from you! Also, please tag me on Instagram and check out my Pinterest for even more recipe ideas.
It brings me so much joy to see you make my recipes. 🙂
Happy Baking!
More Cupcake Recipes
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
Equipment
- Two 12-Count Muffin Pans
- Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
Ingredients:
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ cup milk, room temperature
- â…“ cup warm water
- â…“ cup vegetable oil (or canola oil)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Peanut Butter Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- â…› teaspoon salt
- chocolate sauce (optional)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two 12-count muffin pans with 14 cupcake liners. Set aside.
Chocolate Cupcakes
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, water, oil, and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and whisk until combined (the batter will be thin).
- Fill the cupcake liners ½ way full (about 2 tablespoons) and bake for 14-16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cupcake comes out clean. Allow them to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer them over to a wire rack to finish cooling.*Bake each muffin pan separately.
Peanut Butter Frosting
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, peanut butter, and vanilla extract on high speed until fully combined and creamy (about 1-2 minutes).
- Add the powdered sugar, heavy whipping cream, and salt and mix on low speed until combined (about 30 seconds). Then increase the speed to high and beat for another 1-2 minutes (frosting should be light and creamy).
Assemble
- Use a piping bag and your favorite frosting tip to frost the cupcakes. I used the Wilton 1M. Drizzle the chocolate sauce over each cupcakes (optional) and enjoy!
- Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes:
Nutrition
My husband is a true peanut butter fan. We sometimes have 5 jars of peanut butter in the pantry. He would love these peanut butter cupcakes. (I would too)
OMG these cupcakes are absolutely drool worthy! What better combo is there than peanut butter and chocolate?
Ahh, chocolate!:)) I don't know what "leftovers" means haha! Never happens at my house!
I know, right?! 🙂
Where I used to live there was a cupcake shop that had peanut butter icing. I've never seen it anywhere else and I love it as it isn't as sweet as other icing. When I saw this recipe I was so happy. I immediately tried it and absolutely love the cupcakes and the icing. Brought a batch into work and my coworkers were raving about the cupcakes, especially the peanut butter icing, doesn't seem to be thing where I'm living now, at least not yet 🙂 The recipe was super easy to follow, the cupcakes turned out perfectly and I even learned how to pipe icing. I've made these a few times now and they are always a big hit.
I love your backstory on the peanut butter icing, Heidi. Thanks for sharing and I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Your Reese’s peanut butter and chocolate cake is the best dessert and I cannot wait to make these cupcakes for my husband and I’s anniversary! They are like minis of the big cake, perfect for two! It’s my husband’s favorite dessert. The peanut butter frosting is to die for. Highly recommend.
I'm glad it's your favorite!
Best peanut butter icing I've ever tasted! And the chocolate cake...don't get me started. So moist and such a yummy chocolate flavor!
I absolutely love that combo!! So glad you did too!